[Cyrene]

Seconds turns into minutes. Continues attack, but no changes.

I looks so desperate while attacking Tsubaki, despite him effortlessly avoiding my attacks. Kung may mga atake mang tumatama, hindi pa 'ko kumukurap ay magaling na ito kaagad na para bang walang nagbago.

Mariin na ang pag-igting ng bagang ko, desperado sa bawat atake ko.

"Come on, darling." Sadyang humikab si Tsubaki. "Aren't you getting bored? Let's stop this now." Our eyes met, mine full of range, his full of lust and amusement.

He leaned closer to me. "Put the rest of your energy on the bed," he said using his seductive voice. "I promise that I'll make your first night memorable."

I gritted my teeth, I lost my composure. With full of force and without thinking straight, I slashed my katana.

Mabilis ang pangyayari, kapwa kaming nahinto ng kaharap ko. Ilang segundo bago ako mapatingin sa pisngi niya na nahiwa at unti-unting lumabas ang dugo.

Tsubaki gently touched his cheek, it didn't even reach his fingers before it closed and healed. But his expression changed.

I was alarmed, humigpit ang pagkakakahawak ko sa katana.

"Bitch. Ayaw mong maayos na usapan, ang gusto mo talaga, mahihirapan ka pa."

Hindi pa tuluyang namilog ang mga mata ko, hindi kaagad naproseso ng utak ko ang sumunod na nangyari.

Naramdaman ko na lang sa isang iglap ang pwersa ng paghawak ng palad ni Tsubaki sa mukha ko at ang mabilis na pagtama ko sa pader. 

Ramdam ko ang madiin na pagbaon ng mga kuko niya sa mukha ko, buong natatakpan ito.

"You."

He kept banging my head on the wall.

"Should."

I can feel my blood spluttering. My eyesight is getting blurry.

"BE OBEDIENT!"

I'm having trouble breathing because of his hand covering my face. I'm slowly losing my grip to the katana.

Tsubaki had already lost it. . .

This man, is not someone I can easily kill. I really, really overestimated myself.

I can only hear the walls breaking as my head continuously hitting it.

"YOU SHOULD ALWAYS FOLLOW ME! WHEN I TELL YOU TO GO TO BED, GO TO THE FUCKING BED!"

"YOUR SOLE PURPOSE HERE IS TO PLEASURE ME! TO FEED ME! DON'T BE FUCKING FULL OF YOURSELF!"

In just a second, Tsubaki looks like a completely different person compared to the first time I've seen him.

After what it felt like hours, continuous banging of my head, I've completely lost the strength to even hold my katana. Dahan-dahan itong nadulas sa kamay ko.

Ilang saglit pa, nahinto ang lalaking kaharap ko. Binitawan niya ang ulo ko, hindi ko na magawang maimulat pa nang maayos ang mga mata ko.

Naliligo na 'ko sa sarili kong dugo. The floor I'm stepping at looks like a pool of blood. The moment he let go of me, I fell on the floor, face first.

I can't completely close nor open my eyes. Nasisilayan ko ang mabigat na paghinga ni Tsubaki na mukhang nawala na nang kaunti ang pagkagigil sa 'kin. He brushed his hair using his fingers, licking the blood on the other hand.

"Now look what you've done, darling." His voice became gentle, as if he's back to his elegant side once again. "This is why you shouldn't anger me," he softly said, sounds genuine like a parent lecturing their kid after beating the shit out of them.

Ah, I can't move. Nagmanhid ang buo kong katawan, basag na basag ang ulo ko. I'm trying to move at least my fingers slowly, and it's already taking a lot of strength.

"Tsk." Tsubaki took a deep sigh. I was taken aback when I felt his hands again touching my face.

But this time, it's gentle. Marahan niyang inangat ang mukha ko, kahit wala na 'kong masyadong makita at punong-puno ito ng dugo. Malabo na ang paningin ko pero kita ko pa rin ang masinsin niyang pagtingin sa akin.

"I hope that it won't make a scar to your beautiful-"

He stopped midway. He literally stopped.

Who wouldn't? When your head was cut on half, horizontally.

"CYRENE!" I heard a voice, faint but recognizable. 

Ki. . .ra?

Malabo pa rin ang paningin ko. Naaninagan ko lang ang paglapit sa 'kin ng isang pamilyar na babae at ang marahang paghawak niya sa 'kin. 

Did she just do that to Tsubaki?

I was about to call her name when I saw the man behind her, fully healed as if his head wasn't intact literally just a second ago.

Mariin ang pagkahawak ni Tsubaki sa ulo ni Kira, at walang kahirap-hirap siyang nilutang hawak-hawak lang ang ulo niya. I can't fully see them, my eyesight is getting blurry from time to time. I'm losing my hearing.

Napasulyap ako sa pintuan, umiikot pa rin ang paningin. It's open. Dito nanggaling si Kira. Lying on it was a severed head slowly turning into ash.

Who is she again?

I slowly blinked my eyes.

It's the woman who greeted us. I think it was Narume.

My breathing is getting weaker. I need to get up now, but my body is failing me. My wound is taking too long to heal.

It's just like before. It's the same scenario, different vampires.

I have a bitter taste on my mouth. Napakagat ako sa ibabang labi at unti-unting sumara ang kamao ko.

Nothing changed, even with my red eyes. Nothing.

I'm still lying on the floor with my own blood. My hair is not tied anymore. Nakabuhaghag ito sa 'kin.

Kira will die. She will die for sure. She can't beat Tsubaki. . . and I can't beat him for her.

She really did come fore me. But I only caused her trouble— I'm a nuisance. 

I can remember that night again, I can see her face, I can remember the feeling, I can feel it.

Guilt. Anger. Pity.

I'm feeling it over again-

Parang nakarinig ako ng pagpatak ng dugo. Tila natulala ako sa harapan ko. Habang nakahilata, nakatapat sa 'kin ang kwintas na suot-suot ko.

My eyes got locked on it. As if I can see my own reflection to the crystal, with a drop of blood.

It felt like time slowed for me, all I can see is my own reflection.

Did nothing really changed? Or I'm stopping myself from changing?

Tila nagkaroon ako ng mga katanungan.

That night. . . when Crown did this to me, she gave me this— I can't do anything back then but to accept it.

I only accepted it, but I didn't fully welcomed it. 

Because until now, I can't acknowledge that I'm already one of them.

I met my own eyes in the reflection. The crimson red eyes that I swore to eliminate, is what I see every time I look at my own reflection.

My hand moved on it's own, not minding the pain I'm feeling. My mind became blank.

I don't know if a drop of blood could make a difference, or would it really do anything. But still, I slowly opened my mouth and let it drop.

It's the last thing I remembered, before feeling so much pain and pleasure at the same time. The single drop felt like a new taste feeling my whole mouth, removing the dryness in my throat.

It made me feel alive.

━━━ † ━━━